David Millman ’23 has been named a Knight-Hennessy Scholar, joining a cohort of 90 top students, the largest to date, from around the world who will receive up to three years of financial support to pursue graduate studies at Stanford University. 

Millman, a government major who served as student government president at Dartmouth, plans to pursue a JD at Stanford Law School through the program. This year’s class represents 30 countries and 45 graduate degree programs across Stanford University, selected based on “their demonstration of independence of thought, purposeful leadership, and a civic mindset.”

“Receiving this scholarship is one of the greatest honors that I can imagine, and will enable me to pursue law school and a career in public service,” Millman says.

“The Knight-Hennessy Scholarship, to me, is a testament to the incredible support I have received from students, faculty, and staff in the Dartmouth community, and I will work every day to be worthy of this award and their support.”

In addition to funding for graduate work at Stanford, the program gives Knight-Hennessy scholars the opportunity to “engage in experiences that prepare them to be visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders who address complex challenges facing the world,” according to the Knight-Hennessy release announcing the 2024 cohort of scholars.

Christie Harner, assistant dean of faculty for fellowship advising, says it is gratifying to see Millman recognized by Knight-Hennessy for his outstanding commitment to collaborative leadership and public service. 

“In his time at Dartmouth, David was well-known by students, faculty, and townspeople—whether or not people knew his name, they knew his work. A leader and public servant, he successfully lobbied for state and town legislation, revolutionized ‘town vs. gown’ politics, and advocated for sexual assault survivors at state and national levels,” Harner says. 

“As a Knight-Hennessy Scholar, I am confident David will continue to lean on his commitment to the law and his pursuit of local political change.”

Millman, who is currently completing a master of science degree in local economic development at the London School of Economics made possible through the support of Dartmouth’s James B. Reynolds Scholarship for Foreign Study, says he is committed to using law and public policy to help improve communities, particularly by addressing the national housing crisis.

“I have the immediate and long term goal to fight a growing sense of apathy around what is possible for our communities, our country, and our world,” Millman says. 

“I want to be a public interest lawyer because I want to use my experiences—as a communicator, actor, sexual violence prevention advocate, student body president, municipal candidate, and zoning district author, to inspire change,” he says. 

“My goal is to be the type of lawyer that helps deaf families like my father’s sort their renting situation, the type that fights for the rights of survivors of sexual violence, and the type that works to make housing accessible for everyone. Studying law is the next step in my journey to make that a reality.”

At Dartmouth, in addition to serving in Dartmouth Student Government, Millman wrote legislation and campaigned for a new zoning district in Hanover that was passed into law to help ease the region’s housing burden by allowing for more construction of housing. He also helped pass legislation in New Hampshire to provide rights for survivors on college campuses as the N.H. state director of the student-led nonprofit the Every Voice Coalition. 

“At Dartmouth, I was able to learn from amazing people as I spent four years working to make our community better,” Millman says.

The Knight-Hennessy scholarship is named for Stanford’s 10th president, John L. Hennessy, and for Nike co-founder and philanthropist Phil Knight, a 1962 graduate of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, who donated $400 million to the program in 2016.

For information about applying for Knight-Hennessy Scholarships and other programs, visit Dartmouth’s Fellowship Advising Office.